THE WEEK THAT WAS

Nikah | Geo TV, Daily 7.00pm

A nusha (Zainab Shabbir) and Haris relationship disintegrates on the evening of their Nikkah, when the she insists the clause for divorce must be part of their marriage contract. Following the stereotype, the sudden “loss” of honour kills off Anusha’s father, and she is left to fend for herself.

Her only relative is her Ammo (Javaria Abbasi), the aunt who brought her up, but who recently married to a wealthy, older man Farooq (Samir Suhail). Farooq treats Anusha with suspicion because he sees his son Hammad (Haroon Shahid) falling for the young woman. Although this is a basic daily soap opera that uses a lot of cliches and two-dimensional villains, it’s good to see a heroine survive, face difficulties and support herself with a job. Anusha’s initial stand for her rights is also a good reminder that not every attraction is a worthwhile love that can endure the tests of time.

Pyari Mona | Hum TV, Thursdays 8.00pm

This is one of the few mature, well-written dramas on air and it never disappoints. The story takes a tragic turn as Mona’s sister Samia (Sabeeka Imam) suddenly dies after a heart attack. The sudden loss leaves her daughter Ayaan (Khadeeja Shahbaz) lonely, as neither her grandparents nor her father Babar (Adeel Hussain) can fill the gap. Mona (Sanam Jung) is also faced with three losses, her sister’s death, her best friend Irfan getting married and no job. One of the greatest strengths of Mona’s character is her resilience — her body shape and experiences have taught her resilience and empathy, rather than making her bitter. Mona charts a new beginning: she decides to move back to Karachi and to start a business with her father’s help.

Mona’s mother Shaista (Uzma Baig) still yearns for a perfect, slim, successful daughter and doesn’t understand how much pressure her expectations put on her children. Sanam Jung has given a strong, sincere performance here as Mona, without resorting to melodrama. Good performances and a fresh perspective make Pyari Mona a great viewing. Mishal Khan joins the cast as a new character, the angry model Zee, who is out for revenge from Babar.

Sar-i-Rah | ARY, Saturdays 9.00pm

This limited series of six episodes ends on a high note, giving all the characters a feel-good, positive ending. Writer Adeel Razzak and director Ahmed Bhatti use a simple Disney-style storytelling where change is possible and ignorance and hatred can be overcome if we believe in ourselves.

This uncomplicated style misses out on a lot of the important nuances of the issues explored such as infertility, attitudes towards intersex individuals and female inheritance in favour of easy connection. Full credit to the team for skillfully blending the stories and giving all this diverse array of characters a sense of family and camaraderie as they shared their journeys and difficulties. Excellent performances from Saba Qamar as Rania, a female taxi driver and Muneeb Butt as Sarang, an intersex person, in particular, have made Sar-i-Rah an entertaining and meaningful viewing.

What To Watch Out For (or not)

Jhoom | Geo TV, Coming soon

After the commercial success of Ruposh, Producer Abdullah Kadwani’s 7th Sky Entertainment presents another ‘mega project’, Jhoom, starring Haroon Kadwani, Zara Noor and Kinza Hashmi. The teasers are filled with angst and broken hearts, revealing the story of a younger man and his love for an older woman..

Jaan-i-Jan | ARY, Coming soon

After starring in the blockbuster film The Legend of Maula Jatt, Hamza Ali Abbasi returns to the small screen with his Pyaray Afzal co-star Ayeza Khan in a new family-oriented love story. This serial is written by Rida Bilal and directed by Qasim Ali Mureed.

Published in Dawn, ICON, March 19th, 2023